Cotton harvester



Oct. 26, 1954 B. BIGLER 2,692,467

COTTON HARVESTER Filed May 1, 1953 3 sheets-sheet 1 Oct. 26, 1954 B, 1 BlGLER 2,692,467

COTTON HARVESTER Filed May l, 1955.v

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

E/vJAM//v rf 516 LE/a Oct. 26, 1954 Filed May l, 1953 B. .1. BIGLER 2,692,467

COTTON HARVESTER 3 Sheds-Sheet T5 INVENTOR.

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Patented Octe 26, 19574 UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE COTTON HARVESTER Benjamin J. Bigler, Temple, Tex.

Application May 1, 1953, Serial No. 352,551

l Claim. 1

This invention relates to apparatus for harvesting cotton, and more particularly, has reference to apparatus of this type adapted to be mounted upon a tractor or similar vehicle, and further adapted to take its power from he power takeoff of said vehicle.

An important object of the present invention is to provide harvesting apparatus as described which will be particularly designed to facilitate proper locating of a plant to be stripped of cotton bolls, relative to stripper rolls of the apparatus. To this end, I propose to so construct the stripper rolls as to form the same with tapered leading ends, the tapered leading ends of adjacent stripper rolls being adapted to define therebetween a tapered throat into which the plants to be stripped will move, thus to guide said plants to the space between the stripper rolls.

Another important object is to provide, for coaction with said stripper rolls, paired brush rolls, the brush rolls having ared leading ends that complement and are in mesh with the tapered leading ends of the stripper rolls, the construction being designed to insure the removal of the bolls from the stripper rolls by the brush bolls, for transfer of said rolls to opposite sides of the roll housing.

Another object of importance is to provide, in a structure of the type described, a housing formation wherein said housing will have an open front end and a longitudinally and centrally disposed bottom opening in communication with said front end, said bottom opening and front end being adapted to dene a space through which the plants to be stripped will pass, the housing further having depending side troughs in which cleaner rolls will be mounted, said side troughs being adapted to receive the bolls from the brush rolls, give the bolls an initial cleaning, and transfer said bolls to the rear end of the housing.

Another object of importance is to provide a harvesting attachment as described wherein the roll housing will be so mounted upon its associated tractor as to permit the front and the rear ends of said roll housing to be adjustable upwardly and downwardly, with each end of the housing being adjustable independently of the other.

Another object of importance is to provide a cotton harvesting structure as stated wherein the roll housing will be supported by a suitable frame, said frame being Xedly mounted upon the tractor and being adapted to facilitate access to the drive means for the stripper, brush, and cleaner rolls of the apparatus.

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Another object of importance is to provide a drive linkage for a cottoin harvesting structure, which drive linkage will be designed for connection at one end to the power take-off of a tractor, the drive linkage being so arranged as to drive a blower, the stripper rolls, the brush rolls, and the cleaner rolls, with the several driven elements being operated simultaneously during use of the apparatus.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawings, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view with parts broken away and shown in section, of a cotton harvesting apparatus formed in accordance with the present invention, as it appears when mounted upon a conventional tractor having one rear wheel removed;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus in which the tractor has been illustrated fragmentarily;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on line 3 3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional View taken substantially on line 4 4 of Figure 3 with parts broken away and shown in section;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on line 5 5 of Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is a greatly enlarged perspective view of one of the stripper rolls, per se.

The cotton harvesting apparatus constituting the present invention is adapted to be mounted upon a conventional tractor I0. The apparatus has been designated generally by the reference numeral l2, and includes a support frame designated generally at I4.

The support frame is formed with elongated, horizontally disposed, side rails I6, I6', said side rails being spaced transversely of `the apparatus and being disposed at one side of the tractor I0. The side rails I6, I6 are coextensive in length, and are xedly connected in transversely spaced relation by cross bars I8, 20, 22, and 24. The several cross bars are spaced longitudinally of the side rails I6, I6', and it is thus seen that a horizontally disposed, substantially rectangular, open framework is provided, which framework is adapted to support the remaining parts of the apparatus.

The reference numeral 26 has been applied to designate a shaft extending from the power take-01T of the tractor Il). Shaft 26 is extended rearwardly from the rear end of the tractor for a substantial distance, and has a drive pulley 28 connected thereto. Trained about the pulley 28 is a belt 30, said belt 30 being trained about a driven pulley 32. Pulley 32 is secured to a pulley 34 for rotation therewith, and trained about the pulley 34 is a belt 36.

Belt 36 passes around a pulley 38, to drive the same, said pulley 38 being secured to an elongated drive shaft 4) for the several rolls of the harvesting apparatus. The elongated drive shaft 40 is extended between the side rails i6, i6', and is in parallelism with said side rails, the drive shaft ll being journaled in suitable bearings provided upon the cross bars of the frame.

The pulleys 32, 35 are keyed to or otherwise made rotatable with a jack shaft l2 journaled in bearings carried by the cross bars I8, 2G, and

rotatable by said jack shaft is a large pulley lll about which is trained belt AE passing. around pulley 48. secured to the shaft of a blower mounted within a blower housing 52, which housing is provided with an outlet 54. It will be understood that the outlet 513 will, in use of the apparatus, be connected toa suitable outlet duct or receiver, to which the harvested bolls will be conveyed.

The support frame can, of course, be xedly secured to the tractor l0 in any suitable manner, and in thel illustrated. example of the invention, said frame is rigidly fastened to the side of the tractor by means oi hangers 56, 56.

The roll housing has been designated generally at 58, and as shown in Figure 3, is formed with side portions 60, 6D. disposed at opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of said housing. Longitudinally andl centrally of the housing, there is an open space, and at opposite sides or" said open space, the top wall of` the housing is formed4 with downwardly converging wings E52, 62.. The Wings.62.,.52" areso disposed as to pro,- tectively enclose the roll means mounted in the housing, thereby to eliminate or substantially reduce the possibility of the harvested bolls being discharged accidentally through the open portion of the housing top wall.

The opposite, side walls of the housing. 58, are offset outwardly attheir lowerends, to form the outer wall portions ofA depending side troughs 64, 64 extending longitudinally of the respective sides of the housing. The side troughs have inner walls merging at theirupper edges into inwardly extending, transversely depressed, bottom wall portions 55, 65.

In the side walls ofthe housing. I provide openings 65, 56 said openingsy being normally closed by access doors 6,8, 68,. The access. doors are so disposed as to permit, maintenance, cleaning, and repair of the mechanisms disposed Within the housing.

At its rear end, the housing is closed by a rear end wall l), said rear end wall serving to protect the drive linkage of the structure from the plants harvestedby the housing, Thus, the plant stalks remaining afterv the bollS; have been stripped therefrom are bent forwardly by the lower edge portion of the rear end Wall le, so as to prevent saidstalks from fouling the drive linkage.

The roll housing. 5B is supported by the frame i4, and is disposedforwardly of said frame.y At itsV rear end, the housing 58 is connected to the forwardly curved lower endsof. hanger bars l2, "1.2".U The barsV 12, iZf are pivotally connected (see Figure l) to the front ends of vertically spaced, substantially horizontally disposed, connecting members 14, '14', 16, 1S', the members 'I6 and 'IB' being formed with a handle portion at its rear end. The connecting members l, lll and 75, I6 are pivotally connected to stationary support posts ll, lll', which support post is fixedly secured to and extends upwardly from the front end of the frame I4, It will be understood that a pair of posts 118, 'i8' is provided, the posts of said pair being spaced transversely of the frame and being each connected to members lli, 'i6 and M and l5' respectively.

At their upper ends, the support posts 18, la' are bolted or otherwise xedly connected to the opposite ends of a cross brace (Figure 3). medially between its ends, cross brace is se cured to the upper end of a vertical brace 8 i, said vertical brace being affixed at its lower end to the front end of the frame Ill.

A toothed segment 32, 52 is. rigid. with. the respective support posts '58, 713.', the handle.. porf tions. of members T5, 'I6' being` formed with suitable detent means engageable. in selected notches of the segments.

t will be thus apparent that the rearend of the housing 53 is adjustably suspended from the frontend of frame i5, and is adjustable vertically to selected elevations relative tothe ground surface. To adjust the rear end ofy housing 58;.vertically to a selected elevation, it is merely neces sary that the handle portions of the. connectingl members l5, lli be grasped, and shifted to selected locations on the segments @-2, 52:. This will cause the hanger bars 12,72 to be swung upwardly or. downwardly, as desired, therebyV to ad,- just, in turn, theV rear end of the. housing; 58.

Fixedly mounted upon the cross member Sil., intermediate the opposite ends of said crossmember, is aitoothed segment 555, and adapted totraverse said segment is a latch. handle. 58', said handle being provided withv detent. means engageable in a selected notch of the segment` 85.

Handle 88 is pivotally mountedupon the segment 86, and at its lower end is pivotally connected to one end of an elongatedv rod. 9.5, the rod 90 being pivotally joined at its forward-endA to one endV of a rockable lever 92 fulcrumed intermediate its` ends upon a rigid support. bar 34. secured to the tractor i0-,

Pivotally attached atoneend to the lower end of the barl2v is a link 55, said lin-k i'being pivot,- ally` joined, at its frontV end, to the. midlength portion of an arcuate frame member 98 extend.- ing transverselyv of the front end of the housing 58. Frame member 95. is. welded: or otherwise fixedly joined, at its opposite ends, to they oppo- ,Isite sides of the front endY of the housing.

By reason of this construction, it is seen that by adjustment of latch hand-le Bil to selected positions, the front end ofv the housing 5 3 will be shifted vertically to selected elevations. Thus, the housing 5t is adjustable vertically atv either or both ends thereof. The adjustmentl of either standably affect the adjustments selected for the housing.

Within the housing there are provided a plurality of rolls adapted to act upon the plants, for the purpose of removing the bolls therefrom. Thus, I utilize a pair of stripper rolls designated by the reference numerals Hill, itt. The construction of each stripper roll has been illustrated to advantage in Figure 6, and it will be noted that said roll includes an elongated cylinder |02, the end walls of which are lixedly secured to an axially disposed shaft Illll.

The cylinder |62 of each stripper roll is formed, at its leading end, with a tapered portion |06.

Rearwardly of said tapered portion, the cylinder |02 is provided with a circumferential series of linger support bars |08, said bars |08 extending longitudinally of the cylinder fully from the base of the tapered portion Iilt to the trailing end of the cylinder. Mounted upon each bar |08 is a longitudinal series of radially extended stripper lingers IIU, said lingers |I|l being spaced equal distances apart longitudinally of the stripper roll.

On the tapered portion It@ there is provided a circumferential series of relatively short linger support bars I I 2, on which radially extended fingers i|4 are mounted.

It will thus be seen that the stripper fingers of each roll It) are arranged in longitudinally eX- tending, circumferentially spaced rows. It will further be seen that the rows of lingers on the tapered leading end of each cylinder are staggered circumferentially of the cylinder, relative to the rows of lingers on the remaining part of the cylinder.

At I I'B, IIE', I have generally designated a pair of brush rolls. The brush rolls are formed like the stripper rolls, to the extent that said brush rolls have elongated cylinders secured to axially disposed shafts Ill. Further, the brush rolls have circumferentially spaced, longitudinally extending nger support bars on which are mounted outwardly and radially extended brush lingers. Each of the brush rolls, at their leading ends, is flared as at I 8, the flare of each brush roll being complementary to the taper of the stripper roll adjacent thereto.

It will also be noted that the rows of brush fingers mounted upon the liared leading end portions of the brush rolls are staggered circumferentially of the brush rolls relative to the rows of brush ngers mounted upon the constant diameter portions of the brush roll cylinders. In

the respective side troughs 64, 64', I mount cleaner rolls designated generally by the reference numeral |20, |2t'. In each side trough 61| there is provided a longitudinal series of cleaner rolls, with the rolls of said series being extended transversely of the trough, fully from side to side of the trough. Each cleaner roll includes a cylinder |22, and secured to said cylinder for rotating the same is an axially extended shaft |24 journaled at its opposite ends in the side wall of the trough. Fixedly connected to the cylinder |22 are radially extending lingers |26, said lingers being slightly curved longitudinally and being arranged in rows extending longitudinally of the cylinder |22, said rows being spaced circumferentially about the cylinder. The lingers of each row are staggered longitudinally of the cylinder relative to the lingers of each adjacent row (Figure 3).

The drive means for the several rolls will now be described, and as will be noted from Figure 2,

drive shaft 40 by a universal joint |33. The extension |28 has a pulley |32 secured thereto, and trained about said pulley |32 is a belt |34 (Figure 4). Belt |34 is trained about and rotates a pulley |36 rotating a stub shaft |38. Stub shaft |38 is journaled in suitable bearings provided upon a rearwardly projecting member carried by the rear end wall lll.

To the front end of the stub shaft |38 there is lixedly secured a bevel gear Ille, meshing with and rotating a bevel gear |ll| affixed to an intermediate portion of a jack shaft |42. Jack shaft |42 extends transversely of the housing 58, being journaled in suitable bearings carried by the rear end Wall 'I0 of said housing. The jack shaft |1l2 projects beyond the opposite sides of the housing 58, and affixed to the projecting ends of the jack shaft are pulleys |44, Illll' about which are trained belts |46, HIE'.

The belts I, IMI' pass about pulleys HI8, HIB' (Figure 3), secured to the shafts |24, |213'. The pulleys Idil, Irll', have sprockets Iflt, Ille', respectively, connected thereto, the sprockets being part of sprocket and chain assemblies |56, Ill'. The sprocket and chain assemblies |50, |56 extend along the opposite sides of the roll housing 58, being mounted upon the outer side walls of the troughs Ell, III'. The assemblies Idil, |59' connect all the shafts |24 of the groups of cleaner rollers |20, |20' for joint rotation in the same direction, and as a result, it will be seen that bolls deposited in the side troughs will be given an initial cleaning by the elongated lingers |26, and will be transferred to the rear end of the housing.

Each of the shafts IM of the stripper rolls |60 and lll', carry pulleys ISB and It' respectively, the pulleys having sprockets |52 and |62 projecting therefrom. Shafts I I'l of the brush rolls H6, IE6 carry pulleys It@ and IM'. Belt It connects pulley |63' to pulley |651, and the belt |86 connects pulley |Il3 to pulley IM'. A sprocket chain ISI is trained over lthe sprockets ft2 and |62' and also over a sprocket itil carried by the shaft |28. By this described structure the stripper rolls I tlIl and Idil' and the brush rolls IIE and IIB' are driven.

Projecting forwardly from the leading end of the housing 58 are tapered blades |52, |52', said blades dii/erging in a direction away from the front end of the housing. Secured to the inner surface of each blade |52 are spring guides let, |54', a plurality cf said guides being secured to the blades |52, IZ' as best shown in Figure 2.

It will be noted that the blades |52, |52', and their associated spring guides |54, |513' are so arranged as to cooperate in guiding plants into the open space between the front end of the stripper rolls |00, I im'. It will be observed, in this regard, that the tapering of the leading ends of the stripper rolls is adapted to define, between the stripper rolls, a tapered throat into which the blades I 52, |52 will guide the plants to be stripped.

The stripper rolls are disposed at opposite sides of the longitudinally and centrally disposed bottom opening of the housing 58, and accordingly, after the plants are directed into the tapered throat, the plants will, during movement of the housing along the row, pass longitudinally of the bottom opening of the housing 5S. The stripper rolls will rotate in opposite directions, as shown by the arrows in Figure 3, and will strip the bolls' from the plants.

The bolls will thus beVV carried upwardly, and will be engaged by the brusli'ngersof the rolls 116,116. The fingers of rolls EIB, H will remove the bolisirorn the stripper rolls, and said bolls will then be directed by theV brush rolls to the opposite sides of the housing, into the side troughs M; 6'3";

The conveying of the cotton` bells is aided b'y connecting in communication withA thereai' ends o the side troughs a pair ofA rearwardly converging duets 156, said ducts vroornrnunici'ating with one end 0I a main duet |58 extending to the blower housing 52. The blower is rotated inthe housing in a direction to cause a suction to be set up within the ducts |56, |58, and as a result, the cotton boils will bepulledl out of the rear end o the housing, and drawn through the blower housingi The 'suction vset up'- within the ductsy 56, E58 will, as will be appreciated, also be set up 'within the roll housing 53, thus tov aid in the movement of the boils from the stripper rolls to' the brush rolls,- and from the brush rollsv to the cleaner rolls, as well as the movement from the cleaner rolls tothe rear end of the housing.

En use oi the apparatus, the operation ofthe tractor along a driil row will: cause the plants of said row to be acted upon inV succession by the apparatus, thus to cause the boils to be stripped from the several plants of the row.

rthe boils are continuously transferred to a suite able receiver, not shown, such as an accompanying wagon. it is important to note, in this re gard, that the particular formation of the 1ead= ing ends ofv the stripper rolls is such as toinsure that all the plants will be guided into the'space between said strip-per rolls. AtY the same time, the brush rolls are formed coinplementarily to the stripper rolls at their leading ends, thus to be in full mesh with the stripper rolls through out the lengths of both the stripper andthe brush rolls.`

This insures that not only will the plants be properly guided between the stripper rolls, but

also will be properly cleaned of boils by the apparatus.

It may be notedthat the staggering of the ngers on the tapered ends of the stripper rolls, relatively to the fingers on the 'constant diameter portions of the stripper rolls, insures that all bolls will be acted upon by the apparatus.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specic use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be. necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated g4 and described, since such construction is` only intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation and' the iaiis presently" devised to carry outr said principles, it being consideredthat tlie invention comprehends any minor change in` construction-that 'may be permitted within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimedis: A cotton: harvester 'comprising a roll housing; a pair of opposit'ely rotating stripper rolls spaced apart insaid housing, said rolls including cylinders tapered for a part of the length at the leading ends thereof to denne a tapered throat therebetween, finger support bars extending longitudinally oi and spaced circuiiifere'ntially about the respective cylinders, andfr'adial stripper 'n'gers mounted upon saidv bars so as to'be arranged on' the cylinders: in circiim'ferentially spaced, longitudinally extending rows; ea-oh cyl-L inder having rows of stripper fingers mounted on' the tapered portion thereof in rows oiset circumferentially' oi the cylinderfroin theirows of fingers mounted onthe remaining portion of the cylinder, said iingers ci the i fpectivestripe per rolls constituting means to s4 cotton bells from plants entering thel tapered throat and passing into the space between the rolls; a pair of oppositely rotating brush rolls in said housing, said brush rolis including cylinders having their leading ends ilared for a part of the length of the brush rolls 'coinplenientarily to the tapered leading'ends ofthe stripper roll cylinders, said brush rolls futher including radially extending brusher fingers arrangedcircumferentially of the brush rolll cylinders in circuniierentially spaced, longitudinally extending rows meshing with the stripper roll rows, the brushing rolls being disposed each adjacent a stripper roll toremove the boils therefrom and pass the same to the opposite sides of the housing; and'inea'ns 'at said sides oi the housing for conveying tliebolls reariwardly therefrom'.

References Cited inthele of this patenti UNITED' STATES PIENTS' Number Name Date 243,554 Haselton June 28; 1881 1,763,607 Watkins-, ,sn-hii June 10, 1930 2,001,077 Thomann. May 14,1935 2,001,078 Court May 14, 1935 2,001,079 Court .1- 1 May 14, 1935 2,451,130 Townsend -n n.- Oct. 12, 1948 2,475,531 Townsend s -..s July 5, 1949 2,513,259 Walker, Jr. June27, 1950 

